Results of Survey of Workshop Participants Graphs and Summaries Regarding Costs, Feasibility and other Factors Survey results summarized and graphed for PSMFC by Marianne Rogers, NOAA
There were 35 surveys total completed by individuals from the following states: California; Oregon; Washington; WA/OR WA/OR (3) and WA/OR/CA (3) surveys compose the Multiple states group in this compilation On the original survey documents, two categories were both listed as Expand/change in-season gear retrieval program, differentiated only by one including (e.g. allow for in-season or earlier gear recovery). For the purpose of this compilation, the categories were separated into a more specified Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery and a more broad Change in season gear retrieval program.
Note: asterisk* denotes an innovation that was identified in a highlighted category from individuals across multiple states
Low costs: Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery (88%) * Trailer length (88%) * Keep gear tighter (88%) * High costs: Time-release cutter tool (75%) * Close or decrease fishing effort in spring (75%)
Low costs: Keep gear tighter (73%) * Trailer length (73%) * Pool noodle (64%) Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery (45%) * Elimination of lead and line splices (45%) High costs: Acoustic deterrence (91%) * Time-release cutter tool (82%) * Sampson line (82%) * Buoyless gear (82%) *
Low costs: Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery (75%) * Trailer length (75%) Keep gear tighter (75%) * High costs: Buoyless gear (88%) * Time-release cutter tool (75%) * Breakaway (63%) Acoustic deterrence (63%) *
Low costs: Trailer length (67%) * Keep gear tighter (67%) * Pool noodle deflection (67%) Elimination of lead and line splices (67%) Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery (67%) * High costs: Time-release cutter tool (100%) * Sampson line (83%) * Buoyless gear (67%) * Acoustic deterrence (67%) *
Low costs: Trailer length Keep gear tighter Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery High costs: Time-release cutter tool Buoyless gear Acoustic deterrence Sampson line
Note: asterisk* denotes an innovation that was identified in a highlighted category from individuals across multiple states
Most feasible: Trailer line length (80%) * Keep gear tighter (80%) * Line visibility (80%) Least feasible: Multiple traps (40%) Sampson line (30%) *
Most feasible: Line visibility (100%) * Trailer line length (100%) * Close or decrease fishing effort in spring (91%) Sinking/neutral lines (82%) Keep gear tighter (82%) Least feasible: Buoyless gear (55%) * Breakaway (45%) Sampson line (45%) *
Most feasible: Line visibility (88%) * Keep gear tighter (88%) * expand/change in-season gear retrieval (88%) Close or decrease fishing effort in spring (88%) Least feasible: Multiple traps on line (75%) Buoyless gear (63%) *
Most feasible: 50% of responses for most innovations Least feasible: Buoyless gear (50%) * Pool noodle (50%) Sampson line (50%) *
Most feasible: Line visibility Trailer line length Keep gear tighter Sinking/neutral lines Elimination of lead and line splices Close or decrease fishing effort in spring Least feasible: Buoyless gear Multiple traps on line Sampson line
Note: asterisk* denotes an innovation that was identified in a highlighted category from individuals across multiple states
Will make a difference: Close or decrease fishing effort in spring (36%) * Buoyless (36%) Allow in-season or earlier gear recoveries (36%) Will not make a difference: Sampson line (64%) *
Will make a difference: Close or decrease fishing effort in early spring (73%) * Will not make a difference: Sampson line (73%) *
Will make a difference: Close or decrease fishing effort in early spring (88%) * Will not make a difference: Nothing notable
Will make a difference: Close or decrease fishing effort in early spring (83%) * Will not make a difference: Sampson line (67%) *
Majority of maybe and hopeful answers from all regional categories. More research and data are required for many individuals to expect any new design to significantly impact whales
Will make a difference: Close or decrease fishing effort in early spring Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery Buoyless gear Will not make a difference: Sampson line
Note: asterisk* denotes an innovation that was identified in a highlighted category from individuals across multiple states
Most testable: Keep gear tighter (64%) * Sinking/neutral lines (45%) * Trailer line length (45%) Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery (45%) * Start the season early (45%) Least testable: Sampson line (36%) *
Most testable: Close or decrease fishing effort in spring (73%) * Allow in-season or earlier gear retrieval (45%) * Buoyless gear (45%) Least testable: Sampson line (73%) *
Most testable: Close or decrease fishing effort in spring (63%) * Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery (63%) * Change contour lines in response to oceanographic conditions (63%) Least testable: Multiple traps on line (75%) Sampson line (38%) * Buoyless gear (38%) *
Most testable: Sinking/neutral lines (83%) * Keep gear tighter (83%) * Line visibility (83%) Least testable: Buoyless gear (50%) *
Most testable: Line visibility Keep gear tighter Sinking/neutral lines Trailer line length Close or decrease fishing effort in spring Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery Least testable: Multiple traps on line Sampson line Buoyless gear
Popular innovations: Close or decrease fishing efforts in the spring 3 / 10 surveys say costs are variable depending on other factors, like DA outbreak limiting crab fishing even during open months (Large impact on small/seasonal boat/fishermen) 1 survey writes most beneficial to whales People want to see models of whale presence Unpopular innovations: Multiple traps on line 2 / 10 people wrote they expect this to increase entanglements Other comments included not legal, dangerous, requires vessel changes with unknown results
Innovations requesting additional research: Buoyless gear Issue with reliability; backup if retrieval fails? 3 / 10 surveys expressed concern for gear loss or enforcement policies. 2 / 10 responses ask to see research; test with fishermen alone first - does this even work? Line visibility 1 / 10 survey asks for more research: depends on whale interactions (attracted or deterred by more visible lines?) 2 / 10 surveys say hard to test specifically for entanglement benefits
Popular innovations: Expand/change in season gear retrieval program Close or decrease fishing efforts in the spring 4 / 11 say OR already has in-season system 3 / 11 recommend revisions for existing program phrasing and structure to increase incentives 1 / 11 says OR already decreases in spring 2 / 11 indicate this could produce for faster and cheaper results than testing lots of gear 1 / 11 asks to specify area; with regional limits Sinking or neutral lines 3 / 11 say already in use Unpopular innovations: Acoustic deterrence 3 / 11 say not presently cost effective 3 / 11 worry it increases noise pollution; not effective; not practical
Innovations requesting additional research: Line visibility Time-release cutter tool Limited research shows success so far (2 / 11 surveys mentioned existing study of right whales in Maine) Need more research per whale species, region, behavior, etc Highest amount of "yes" for testability and doable 3 / 11 surveys implicate interest when technology improves and/or cost decreases Lighter, more flexible Want to see multi-regional analysis of whale entanglement data
Popular innovations: Close or decrease fishing efforts in the spring More than half of surveys explicitly support of this idea; 4 separate individuals write: Most comprehensive solution, best option, most effective tool of all, give it a shot 2 / 8 speculate a benefit for fishermen in next year's season crabs could grow larger, molt; fewer soft-shell issues; positive market results Sinking/neutral lines 5 / 8 say it s a viable solution or already in practice in some areas Unpopular innovations: Acoustic deterrence 3 / 8 exclaim this will increase only ocean noise and are not in support
Innovations requesting additional research: Buoyless gear Line visibility 1 / 8 wrote should be a higher research priority 3/ 8 expressed concern for a mass gear loss 1 person writes needs a lot more scientific research RQ: Are some whales entangled by playing with lines? (More visible lines appear like kelp?) 2 / 8 others are interested in research specifically with lights RQ: Would lights attract prey and increase whale encounters? Whale-free buoys 3 / 8 people wrote they don t know what these are 2 / 8 additional people expressed interest in research to determine any effectiveness
Popular innovations: Close or decrease fishing efforts in the spring 4 / 6 indicate this could help for whales work 100% and would be immediate ; could benefit whales 1 / 6 explains the option seems logical: later in the season there are more soft-shell crabs and fewer fish; save whales and remove all unnecessary gear earlier 3 / 6 express costs are more individual but shouldn t be hugely costly for the whole Unpopular innovations: Sampson line (or stronger, thinner rope) 4 / 6 firmly voiced this would have a harmful and negative impact on whales ; more flesh cuts not just chafe scars
Innovations requesting additional research: Keep gear tighter 2 / 6 comments see high potential to test this (i.e test line profile) Collect data on recoveries and entanglements Sinking or neutral lines 3 / 6 say research plan underway and/or already in use
RQ: Further analysis of whale habits and distribution Specifics on entanglements When Seasonally, monthly Where Geographically On the whale Whale behavior Changes around gear Movement, playfulness, feeding, etc General feeding habits and trends When Where
Gear innovation # of blank boxes # of blank lines Sinking/neutral lines 26 3 Trailer line length 29 3 Keep gear tighter 20 1 Breakaway 33 4 Whale-free buoys 42 6 Time-release line cutter tool 31 4 Pool noodle deflection sleeve below buoy 41 7 Line visibility 15 1 Multiple traps on line 25 3 Sampson line 42 7 Elimination of lead and line splices 40 7 Buoyless gear 36 4 Acoustic deterrence 30 3 Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery 34 5 Change in season gear retrieval program 53 10 Close or decrease fishing effort in spring 22 4 Change contour lines in response to oceanographic conditions 45 8 Seasonal gear changes 51 7 Start the season early if market sizes met in November TOTAL (35 surveys total; 19 lines per survey; 76 boxes per survey; 4 boxes per line) 53 7 668 / 2660 boxes 94 / 665 lines
376 of the 668 blank boxes are in blank lines The amount of blank boxes are all relatively similar Many blank boxes are grouped together in the same people s surveys (i.e several individuals didn t feel comfortable answering many of the questions; rushed without time to finish?) Because Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery and Change in season gear retrieval program were originally almost the same on the hard-copies, this likely caused many people to leave the presumed-repeat-row blank 56% or more than half of all blank boxes Allow in-season or earlier gear recovery (34 blank boxes; 5 blank rows) has nearly half as many empty responses as Change in season gear retrieval program (53 blank boxes; 10 blank rows) Line visibility (15 blank boxes; 1 blank row) had the largest amount of responses Perhaps indicating a gear idea many people already know about